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Seven days of questions and answers

Thanksgiving Trivia Answers Archive

Review earlier daily rounds, reveal the correct answer, and use the short explanation to learn the fact behind each question. Page 11 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. What is the traditional name for the horn-shaped basket filled with fruits, vegetables, and grains that is a common symbol of the Thanksgiving harvest?

    Answer: Cornucopia

    The cornucopia, also called the horn of plenty, is a classical symbol of abundance and nourishment traditionally depicted overflowing with the season's produce.

  2. Which department store chain sponsors the oldest annual Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States, first held in 1920?

    Answer: Gimbel's

    Gimbel's department store launched the first Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia in 1920, predating Macy's famous New York City parade by six years.

  3. What is a gravy separator designed to do?

    Answer: Remove fat from pan drippings by letting it rise to the top

    A gravy separator is a pitcher with a spout at its base; after resting, the fat rises to the top and the cook pours off the lean juices from the bottom, producing a less greasy gravy.

  4. The 1621 Plymouth harvest feast is believed to have occurred during which part of the calendar year?

    Answer: Early autumn

    The harvest celebration at Plymouth in 1621 most likely took place in September or early October, aligning with the completion of the New England harvest season.

  5. Which American state has historically celebrated Thanksgiving with regional dishes such as kalua turkey, poke, and malasadas reflecting its multicultural heritage?

    Answer: Hawaii

    Hawaii's Thanksgiving tables often reflect its diverse cultural influences with dishes like kalua turkey prepared in an imu, poke, malasadas, and other local specialties.

Daily round

  1. George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation was explicitly issued in response to which national development?

    Answer: The ratification of the U.S. Constitution

    Washington's proclamation called for a day of thanksgiving specifically to acknowledge the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the newly formed federal government.

  2. Which squash variety, with its bell-like shape and sweet orange flesh, is especially popular for Thanksgiving soups and purées?

    Answer: Butternut squash

    Butternut squash has a smooth, dense, and sweet flesh that purées easily, making it a favorite for Thanksgiving soups, side dishes, and even pie fillings where a smooth, creamy texture is desired.

  3. Which European nation's settlers in what is now the continental United States held a recorded thanksgiving observance that predates the 1621 Plymouth event?

    Answer: Spain

    Spanish settlers in St. Augustine, Florida, held a thanksgiving Mass and communal meal in September 1565, more than 50 years before the Plymouth harvest gathering.

  4. English explorer Martin Frobisher is associated with early Canadian thanksgiving observances in which century?

    Answer: Sixteenth century

    In 1578, Martin Frobisher held a formal thanksgiving ceremony in what is now Nunavut after surviving a difficult Arctic voyage, making it one of the earliest recorded thanksgiving observances in North America.

  5. Which crop is typically associated with harvest festivals in the American South, where Thanksgiving celebrations may include dishes like pecan pie and sweet potato casserole?

    Answer: Pecans

    Pecans are a signature crop of the American South and a key ingredient in many Southern Thanksgiving dishes, including the classic pecan pie made with the region's abundant harvest.

Daily round

  1. What is the traditional base ingredient of cornbread in Southern American cooking?

    Answer: Cornmeal, often with little or no wheat flour

    Traditional Southern cornbread is made primarily from cornmeal—often with buttermilk and little to no wheat flour—resulting in a denser, more intensely corn-flavored bread than Northern-style versions that use more wheat flour.

  2. The tradition of writing gratitude lists or keeping gratitude journals around Thanksgiving has been linked in psychological research to improvements in which area of well-being?

    Answer: Subjective happiness and life satisfaction

    Multiple psychology studies, including those by Robert Emmons, have found that regularly practicing gratitude, such as writing gratitude lists, is associated with increased subjective happiness and life satisfaction.

  3. Which autumn phenomenon causes the green pigment in leaves to break down and reveal the yellow, orange, and red pigments beneath?

    Answer: Decreasing day length and cooler temperatures

    Shorter days and cooler autumn temperatures trigger the breakdown of chlorophyll in leaves, allowing underlying carotenoid and anthocyanin pigments to become visible.

  4. Which nut, commonly featured in Thanksgiving pies, is native to the south-central United States and northern Mexico?

    Answer: Pecan

    The pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico, making it a uniquely American nut that features prominently in Southern Thanksgiving desserts.

  5. From 1921 to 1931, the Canadian holiday Armistice Day shared its observance with Thanksgiving before being separated into which two distinct holidays?

    Answer: Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day

    Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were observed together on November 11 from 1921 until 1931, when they were separated into Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving on different dates.

Daily round

  1. Which ingredient is traditionally used as the primary thickening agent in pan gravy?

    Answer: Roux made from fat and flour

    Classic pan gravy begins with a roux—a mixture of equal parts fat (typically drippings) and flour cooked together—which is then whisked with pan juices and stock to create a smooth, thickened sauce.

  2. Which Caribbean nation observes a Thanksgiving-style holiday on October 25 to commemorate the anniversary of a significant political event in 1983?

    Answer: Grenada

    Grenada celebrates Thanksgiving Day on October 25, marking the anniversary of the 1983 U.S.-led intervention that restored political order to the island nation.

  3. Why is it recommended to let a roasted turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving?

    Answer: To let the juices redistribute evenly throughout the meat fibers

    Resting gives the meat fibers time to relax and reabsorb the internal juices that were driven toward the center during cooking, resulting in moister slices when carved.

  4. Which type of potato is generally preferred for making fluffy mashed potatoes?

    Answer: Russet potatoes

    Russet (also called baking) potatoes have high starch content and low moisture, which allows them to break down into a light, fluffy texture when mashed, unlike waxy potatoes that hold their shape.

  5. What proportion of wild turkeys in North America were estimated to remain by the early 20th century before conservation efforts restored their populations?

    Answer: Around 30%

    Wild turkey populations had declined to roughly 30,000 birds, about 30% of their original estimated range, by the early 1900s before habitat restoration and regulated hunting brought them back to millions.

Daily round

  1. The Dallas Cowboys began their annual tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving Day NFL game in which year?

    Answer: 1966

    The Dallas Cowboys played their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1966 at the Cotton Bowl, and except for a brief gap in the 1970s, have hosted one nearly every year since.

  2. Which of these vegetables belongs to the same botanical family as pumpkins and butternut squash?

    Answer: Zucchini

    Pumpkins, butternut squash, and zucchini are all members of the Cucurbitaceae family (the gourd family), while sweet potatoes, turnips, and parsnips belong to entirely different plant families.

  3. Which ingredient gives traditional candied yams their characteristic toasted, golden topping?

    Answer: Miniature marshmallows browned under a broiler or in the oven

    The marshmallow-topped candied yam casserole—featuring a layer of miniature marshmallows browned under a broiler or in the oven—became a widely popular Thanksgiving dish in the United States during the twentieth century.

  4. How does the Canadian Thanksgiving tradition differ most distinctly from the American tradition in terms of its historical framing?

    Answer: Canadian Thanksgiving focuses less on a single founding narrative

    Unlike the American tradition, which is closely tied to the 1621 Plymouth narrative, Canadian Thanksgiving draws from multiple historical observances without centering on a single founding event.

  5. On which day of the week does Canadian Thanksgiving consistently fall each year?

    Answer: Second Monday of October

    Since 1957, Canadian Thanksgiving has been observed on the second Monday of October, providing a long weekend for harvest-season observances.

Daily round

  1. What is a turducken?

    Answer: A turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken

    A turducken is a layered dish where a deboned chicken is placed inside a deboned duck, which is then placed inside a deboned turkey and roasted as one piece.

  2. What is the common name for the red berry traditionally served as a sauce or relish alongside Thanksgiving turkey?

    Answer: Cranberry

    Cranberries are the traditional berry served at Thanksgiving, prepared as a sauce, relish, or jelly to complement the savory flavors of turkey and other holiday dishes.

  3. In which country did the celebration known as Chuseok, a major harvest thanksgiving festival typically observed in autumn, originate?

    Answer: Korea

    Chuseok is a major Korean harvest festival, also known as Hangawi, celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month with ancestral rites and traditional foods like songpyeon.

  4. Which U.S. president moved Thanksgiving up by one week in 1939, a decision that divided the nation?

    Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday to the third Thursday of November 1939 to extend the holiday shopping period and help retailers during the Great Depression.

  5. What is the largest float by dimension that has appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, introduced in the 2000s?

    Answer: Pikachu

    The Pikachu balloon, introduced to the Macy's parade, has been among the largest character balloons, reflecting the parade's tradition of featuring pop culture icons alongside classic figures.

Daily round

  1. Which New England state produces the majority of cranberries harvested in the United States for Thanksgiving consumption?

    Answer: Massachusetts

    Massachusetts is the leading cranberry-producing state and home to the Cape Cod region where cranberry bogs have been harvested for generations, supplying much of the fruit used at Thanksgiving.

  2. The wattle is a distinctive fleshy appendage found on which part of a turkey?

    Answer: The head and neck

    A turkey's wattle is the fleshy, wrinkled skin that hangs from the head and neck area, and along with the snood, is one of its most recognizable features.

  3. Who campaigned for decades through editorials and letters to make Thanksgiving a U.S. national holiday before Lincoln's 1863 proclamation?

    Answer: Sarah Josepha Hale

    Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, wrote editorials and lobbied presidents and governors for 36 years to establish Thanksgiving as a unified national holiday.

  4. What was the popular nickname given to the rescheduled Thanksgiving holiday of 1939?

    Answer: Franksgiving

    Critics of Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1939 Thanksgiving date change mockingly dubbed it "Franksgiving," blending the president's first name with the holiday.

  5. What temperature range is known as the food-safety "danger zone" where bacteria multiply most rapidly?

    Answer: 40°F to 140°F (4°C to 60°C)

    The danger zone between 40°F and 140°F is the range in which harmful bacteria can double in number in as little as 20 minutes, so perishable foods should not remain in this range for more than two hours.